The Children's Hospital, Denver, has participated in the WP Cancer Group as a full member since 1980. Since that time, we have participated in the majority of group wide trials and have consistently been in the top half of institutions in numbers of patients entered on CCG protocols. Several members of our staff have important leadership positions within CCG: Dr. Gerald Haase was named Group Vice Chairman in 1991 and he is also Chairman of the Surgery Discipline Committee. Dr. Odom is a member of the AMC Steering Committee and the AML Strategy Group. Our clinical Research Associate was recently appointed to the newly formed CCG Data Management Committee. Our institution was chosen as one of five across the country to participate in cooperative pilot studies for the treatment of intermediate and poor prognosis newly diagnosed acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Additionally, our nurses have been very active in CCG protocol committees. Our Cytogeneticist and two cardiologists actively participate in the Cytogenetics and Cardiology Committees. The Children;s Hospital, Denver, has brought to the group concepts in the area of induction therapy for acute myeloid leukemia and treatment of high grade astrocytoma. We have been conducting a single institution pilot study incorporating intraarterial Cis Platinum and continuous infusion Adriamycin for the treatment of newly diagnosed osteosarcoma since 1988 (initiated in hiatus period between open front line CCG protocols for treatment of this resectable solid tumors in children. We have experience with nearly 50 patients so treated. This data has been evaluated by the CCG Radiation Therapy and Surgery Committees and is in manuscript preparation. This modality will soon be open for group wide participation. Patients have in the past and will continue to be referred to this institution for this form of treatment. Our Data Management section consistently ranks as one of the best in CCG and we have therefore served as advisors and consultants to other CCG institutions and potential members. Additionally, we are supporting, through profit monies, along with a few other CCG institutions, a computer expert who has designed a software program for management of CCG protocol data, to install this system in our institution to serve as a pilot for CCG of this mechanism of information handling. We have several young investigators with a broad range of interests who are eager to join CCG protocol committees. Our institution has been audited four times, once with an NCI observer for compliance with research requirements and found to have no deviations from Federal regulations.
